Never allow your wanton desires to interfere with the basic needs and interests of others and live simply so others may simply live

Friday, August 2, 2013

From Tribe of Heart

News from
Tribe of Heart,
Producers of PEACEABLE KINGDOM: THE JOURNEY HOME and THE WITNESS
Broadcast Premiere of Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Homein Detroit and Canada Monday, August 5th, at 10 PM EDT on WTVS - Detroit Public TelevisionDetroit Viewers: Tune in to Channel 56.1 or your regular cable or satellite channelSouthwest Ontario Viewers: Tune in to
Channel 56.1 and Cogeco CableOptions Available Across Canada: Shaw Direct Satellite TV (Channel 80 and 364-HD),
Rogers Communications, Shaw cable, and many more (check your local listings for PBS Detroit WTVS)NOTE: Broadcast time for Canada will be 10 PM EDT, so adjust accordingly for your local time zone

In this award-winning film that audiences are calling “a life-changing
experience,” animal farmers struggle with their conscience and share
powerful stories of transformation and healing. Their testimony,
combined with rare
footage demonstrating the emotional lives of animals, create an
unexpected and unforgettable portrait of farm life.
78-minute documentary

The Michigan Connection

A fifth-generation farmer from Jackson, Michigan,
Harold Brown spent half his life working in animal agriculture. In
Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home, he shares the touching
story of how he broke away from the traditions of his upbringing to
forge a new way in the world, based on his desire to live in harmony
with his most deeply held values.
Today, through his non-profit organization,
FarmKind, Harold educates the public on such topics as global
agricultural domination, veganic farming, and the pursuit of a
non-violent, peaceful way of life. He also offers practical advice and
moral support to animal farmers who
wish to make the transition to plant-based agriculture.

Born
in Kalamazoo and raised in Harrietta, Michigan, Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home producer
James LaVeck pursued a degree in cross-cultural studies at Cornell
University, spent six months traveling across India, earned a black belt
in Tae Kwon Do, counseled inmates in the county jail, tutored pregnant
teens, and wrote a novel
about the generational impact of family violence. While he didn't
realize it at the time, he was getting the education he needed to
produce documentary films on the subjects of conscience and compassion.

With his partner, Jenny Stein, James founded
Tribe of Heart in 2000 and since then has produced documentaries
that have appeared in 80 festivals around the world, where they have won
18 awards, including 5 for Best of Festival and 12 for Best
Documentary. His work has appeared on
PBS, LinkTV, FreeSpeech TV, and the United Kingdom's Community Channel.
In addition to his filmmaking, James lectures and publishes on the
subjects of living a conscience-driven life and the essential role of
grassroots activism and
independent media in maintaining a healthy democracy.

In
2004,
Kevin Smith of Royal Oak, Michigan, happened upon a television broadcast of Tribe of Heart's first film,
The Witness. With decades of experience in the field of advertising,
Kevin reached out to filmmakers Jenny Stein and James LaVeck to offer
his support. As Associate Producer on Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home,
Kevin's
input was critical to the structuring of several complex, interwoven
storylines. His extensive project development experience and creative
problem-solving skills elevated the professionalism of several aspects
of the project. He and his
wife, Ramona, also donated the artistic talents of their post-production
team at Section 8, creating beautiful title sequences for the film.

Since the DVD of Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home was
released in July 2012, Kevin has overseen our North American screenings
program. To date, he has helped support more than 100 screenings ranging
from venues as small as 25
to theatrical premieres reaching audiences of several hundred. Earlier
in 2013, he assisted Ann Arbor's Humane Society of Huron Valley with
holding a screening (details below), and that collaboration led to a
meeting with WTVS programming
staff, which resulted in the upcoming broadcast on Detroit's Public
Television (PBS).

This past February, Karen Patterson, the Director of
Humane Education at Ann Arbor's
Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV), contacted Tribe of Heart about screening Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home
at the shelter. The film's associate producer, Kevin Smith, helped
organize and participated in the event, and
also arranged a Skype Q&A to follow the screening, so that
filmmakers Jenny Stein and James LaVeck could interact with the many
audience members who were moved and had questions.

HSHV's President and CEO Tanya Hilgendorf was deeply affected by her
experience at the screening and shared Karen and Kevin's feeling that
the film deserved a much wider audience. So together they decided to
reach out to WTVS, Detroit's
PBS station, with which HSHV was already collaborating on a humane
education campaign to nurture compassion and respect for companion
animals. Dan Alpert, WTVS's Senior Vice President, and Dan Gaitens,
WTVS's Program Director agreed to
evaluate the film for broadcast.
Flash forward six months: On Monday, August 5th, WTVS will be airing the broadcast premiere of Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home.
We're grateful for HSHV's holistic vision, which embraces all animals,
including those on farms,
in their humane education message. It is our hope that other humane
societies will be inspired by HSHV's example and approach their own
local PBS stations to request they broadcast the film. For those
interested in working on such
initiatives in their local areas, please
contact Tribe of Heart's Kevin Smith.

Dear friends,

We are thrilled to announce the
broadcast premiere of Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home! It will air Monday, August 5that 10 PM EDT on Detroit's PBS station,
WTVS, which is not only available to a large audience in the US, but
also to millions of viewers across Canada via broadcast, cable and
direct satellite.
Thanks to the collaboration and leadership of the film's associate
producer, Kevin Smith, and that of Tanya Hilgendorf, Karen Patterson and
Deb Kern of the Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV), the film was
brought to the attention of
Dan Alpert and Dan Gaitens of Detroit Public Television (DPTV), which
has a history of working with HSHV on humane education initiatives. One
successful example of their educational collaboration is the airing of
the groundbreaking PSA
campaign, "
Be Humane -- animals have feelings too," that teaches compassion and respect for companion animals.
Now, with their decision to launch the broadcast premiere of Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home,
the WTVS team has again chosen to take a leadership role in advancing
our society's dialogue on the ethics of the human-animal
relationship. For several of us involved in the making of the film, this
broadcast premiere brings us full circle. I am a native of Michigan, as
is film subject and former farmer Harold Brown. Kevin Smith resides in
Royal Oak, a suburb of
Detroit.
At a time when the people of the region are struggling with serious
economic hardship, this broadcast event, which has been made possible
through the combined efforts of several Michiganders (yes, that's what
we are called!), serves as a
potent reminder of the community spirit, moral courage, and compassion
that can inspire us to overcome any obstacle. We are honored to present
our work to PBS viewers in Southeastern Michigan and across Canada, and
to do so in
collaboration with programmers and educators who have contributed to the
common good for so many years, and in so many ways.
Finally, a special note of gratitude goes to Kelli Marshall of
S.M.A.R.T., who first brought Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home
to the attention of Karen Patterson, HSHV's Director of Humane
Education. That led to HSHV working with Kevin Smith to hold a screening
of the film at the Ann
Arbor-based humane society, which in turn inspired all involved to
approach WTVS. So many of the best opportunities for our films begin
like this, with one person sharing the film in a personal way, leading
to a chain of events that could
not have been anticipated. Like pebbles thrown into a pond, we can never
know how far the ripples of our actions will spread. Thank you, Kelli,
for starting this wave of positive change, and thanks to all of you out
there who likewise find
ways to share a compassionate message and keep it moving. Working
together, we can -- and will -- change the world!
James LaVeckProducer

Help get Peaceable Kingdom aired on your PBS station

Now that WTVS has gotten the ball rolling, Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home
is all set for
broadcast with any PBS station. Such broadcasts almost always begin with
a local viewer bringing a film to the attention of the station's
programming staff. With the help of the Tribe of Heart
community,
our first film, The Witness,
aired on many PBS stations nationwide. If you are interested in bringing Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home to the attention of your regional PBS station, please
contact Kevin Smith.

Tell your friends in Michigan & Canada about this broadcast

It's easy! You can use the share button at the top of this page to reach
out to the people you know in Southeastern Michigan and Canada, or
paste this page's link on your social media sites:
http://www.tribeofheart.org/hb/080113.htm
Please also use our Facebook
invitation to let your friends know, and to RSVP yourself if you plan to watch. Thank you for helping get the word out!

For gift giving and sharing the film with people and groups in your community

Tribe of Heart is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization
that produces award-winning, life-changing films about the journey of
awakening conscience and the ethics of the human-animal relationship.
As a small organization with a big vision, we depend on the power of our
community to make our programs come to life. Thank you for the many
ways you help Tribe of Heart encourage positive, peaceful
transformation.

Donations can be made
online or mailed to Tribe of Heart, PO Box 149
Ithaca, NY 14851

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My Pledge to the Readers of this Blog

The progress of social justice is slow and measured. Its growth depends on an increasing number of us becoming aware of the truth and consequences of our actions.

I believe that it is morally wrong to allow our wanton desires to interfere with the basic needs and interests of other sentient beings.

I believe the physical and psychological abuse – confinement, social deprivation, mutilation, genetic and reproductive manipulation, and profit exploitation – imposed by us on other animals is morally wrong.

I believe the suggestion that the exploitation of other sentient beings by humans can be achieved without cruelty, violence, or injustice is false and misleading.

As an advocate for all life, committed to compassion and justice, I refuse to take part in the exploitation of other sentient beings or to collaborate with those caught up in such injustice.

I pledge to do my best to live a life that conveys a clear, sincere and uncompromised message that is free of resentment, fear, exploitation, anger, cynicism, and manipulation.

Furthermore, I pledge to continue to support a broad range of nonviolent initiatives and programs that will hopefully one day eliminate the needless pain and suffering we inflict upon all the many wonderful creatures with whom we share this planet.